Ink agitator



y 1961 E. J. BAKALARS 2,983,222

INK AGITATOR Filed Aug. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B Edward J. Baka/ars 1N VEN TOR. BY Mm WWW 3% y 9, 1951 E. J. BAKALARS 2 2,983,222

INK AGITA'I'OR Filed Aug. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IO M v Edward J Baka/ars 1N VENTOR.

States Patent This invention relates to ink agitators used' in con nection with printing presses and the like, and more particularly to an agitator which may be conveniently driven by the rotating and reciprocating application roller nor mally found .onprinting presses. v

Hereto fore, ink agitators have required a source of power not normally found on ink presses and which may be provided as a supplement to the printing presses. Further, ink ,agitators heretofore known have, besides requiring additional motor means, required considerable supporting structure and actuating means for operatively connecting the additional motor means to the agitator for effecting reciprocating movement of the latter in the supply trough of an ink fountain associated with an ink roller from which ink is transferred to an application roller.

Later types, of printing presses use an application roller journaled for rotation and mounted for reciprocal movement along its axis of rotation. The present invention includes the provision of an extremely simple agitator adapted to be partially'supported by the axle of a rotating and reciprocating application roller and reciprocated by means of the reciprocating movement of the application roller alone. 7

Themain object of this invention is to provide an agitator for use with a printing press having a rotating and reciprocating application roller, which ink agitator may be actuated solely by means of the reciprocating application rollerwhereby it will not be necessary to provide additional motor means to drive the ink agitator.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide an ink agitatorwhich will be specifically adapted to and readily capable of maintaining the ink in the ink fountain in a semi-fluid state and preventing it from becoming gluey in consistency.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ink agitator which will assist in evenly and constantly applying ink to the ink roller of a printing press.

And a final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an inkagitato r which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and 'be easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and operable by even unskilled persons.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ink agitator comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front end elevational view of the ink agitator illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the ink agitator as seen from the right side of Figure 2;

2 Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of a conventional type of printing press showing the manner in which the ink agitator of the instant invention is disposed for operation by the reciprocating application'roller of the printing press; and V Figure 5 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and to Figure 4 in particular, the numeral 10 generally designates a printing press of conventional design including an ink fountain portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 12.

The ink fountain portion 12 of the printing press 10 includes aframe 14 in which there is journaled an ink roller 16 by means of shaft 18, an oscillating roller 20 by means of a shaft 22 and an inking roller 24 by means of shaft 26. The frame 14 also includes an application roller generally referred to by the reference numeral 28 which is journaled for rotation by means of a stationary shaft 30. The inking roller 24 is disposed below and to one side of the application roller 28 and an idler roller 32 is journaled for rotation by means of shaft 34 and is disposed below and to the other side of the application roller 28.

v The ink fountain portion 12 includes a flexible plate v 36 secured at one end to the frame 14 in any convenient manner. The frame 14 includes a plurality of adjusting screws 38 whose shank portions 40 engage the undersurface of the free endv of the flexible plate 36 whereby the flexible plate 36 may be adjustably positioned relative to the ink roller 16. The ink roller 16 is journaled for rotation about a fixed axis and the plate 36 has its free end lying on a tangent of the roller 16 whereby the confronting surfaces of the plate 36 and the roller 16 above their point of contact define a generally V-shaped trough in which semi-liquid ink may be disposed.

With attention directed more particularly to Figure 5 of the drawings, it is to be understood that the ink roller 16 rotates in a clockwise direction and that any suitable means may be provided for rotating and oscillating the oscillating roller 20 about the path indicated by the arrow in Figure 5. The oscillating roller is driven by any convenient means and as it contacts the ink roller 16, the ink roller is intermittently rotated whereupon ink contained in the trough 42 is applied to the outer surface of the roller 16 and transferred to the oscillating roller 20. As the oscillating roller 20 moves from engagement with the inking roller 16 and into engagement with the inking roller 24, the ink from the oscillating roller 20 is transferred to the inking roller 24 whereupon its rolling contact with the application roller 28 will transfer the ink from the inking roller 24 to the application roller 28.

7 With attention now directed more particularly to Figure 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that the application roller 28 is provided with an outer covering 44 and that-the portion of the shaft 30 disposed within the roller 28 is diametrically enlarged as at 46 and is provided with cross threads 48 and 50 in which the inner end of an inwardly directed pin 52 carried by the sleeve 54 of the roller 28 rides. Thus, as the covering 44 and the sleeve 54 of the roller 28 are rotated by means of the rolling contact between the covering 44 and the inking roller 24, the pin riding in the threads 48 and 50 will effect reciprocating movement of the inking roller 28 along the shaft 30. It is to be noted that the shaft 30 is fixedly secured to the frame 14 by means of suitable fasteners 56.

The foregoing description of the printing press is of conventional design and does not comprise any portion of the invention disclosed herein and therefore it is deemed unnecessary to more specifically set forth the structure of the printing press inasmuch as it is only necessary to understand the general operation of the latter in order to fully appreciate the invention disclosed herein.

With attention directed now more-specifically to Figures 1 through 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that the agitator of-the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 60. Theagitator 60 includes an elongated member generally referred to by the reference numeral 62 which includes a plurality of depending agitatingmeans in the form of fingers 64. Each of the fingers 64 is curved slightly as can be best seen in Figures 3 and of the drawings in order to facilitate theiraccessibility to the lowermost portions of the trough 42 defined between the ink roller 16 and the plate 36. The elongated member 62 is substantially straight and panel-like and is provided with a pair of apertures (not shown) through which the threaded ends of the arms 66 are secured by means of fasteners 68. The arms 66 are generally parallel and are interconnected at their outer ends by means of an integral bight portion 70 whereby maximum rigidity of the arms 66 is afforded.

The fingers 64 are spaced inwardly from the opposite ends of the elongated panel members 62 thereby defininga pair of opposite end bearing surfaces 72 whose purpose is to be hereinafter more fully set forth.

' With attention now directed more specifically to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that the agitator is operatively engaged with the application roller 28 by placing the arms 66 in overlying contacting relation with and in frictional engagement with the shaft 30. The arms 66 embrace the opposite ends of the application roller 28 and the elongated panel member 62 is disposed over the trough 42 with the lower ends of the fingers 64in contacting relation with the plate 36 a spaced distance above the lowermost portion of the trough 42.

In operation, as the printing press is operated and the application roller 28 reciprocates back and forth on the shaft 30, reciprocating movementwill be imparted to the agitator 60 whose fingers 64 will constantly agitate the ink disposed in the trough 42 thereby assuring that the ink is applied evenly to the ink roller 16. It may be observed that the operation of the agitator 60 is extremely simple and that it'may be readily removed from the. printing press 10 for cleaning purposes as desired inasmuch as the agitator 60 merely rests upon portions of the printing press 10.

The frame 14 includes a pair of opposite end walls 74 defining the remote ends of the trough 42 and the bearing surfaces 72 of the elongated panel members 62 frictionally engage the upper surfaces of t-he'opposite end walls 74 thereby supporting the lowermost ends of the fingers 64 a spaced distance above the lowermost'portion of the trough 42.

Inasmuch as the ink roller 16 rotates in a clockwise direction, it will be noted that the application roller 28 rotates in a counterclockwise direction. Accordingly, as theapplication roller 28 reciprocates along the shaft 30, it will frictionally engage the confronting surfaces of the arms 66 and the counterclockwise rotation of the roller 2,8 will tend to urge the ink agitator 60 toward the flexible plate 36 wherein the fingers 64 will not engage and rub the ink roller 16.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to'limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly; all. suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new isas, follows: 7 1. An ink agitator for the ink fountain of a printing machine of the type having a rotating ink roller and a reciprocating and rotating application roller to which ink from the ink roller is transferred and which includes an axle shaft extending outwardly beyond the opposite ends of said application roller by which the latter is journaled for rotation, said ink roller constituting one longitudinal side edge-of a generally V-shaped trough in which a supply of ink in a semi-fiuid nature is disposed, said ink agitator comprising an elongated'me'mber including depending and longitudinally spaced agitating means adapted to extend downwardly into said trough and into the disposed therein, and arm means carried by said elongated member projecting laterally therefrom and adapted to rest upon said shaft at the outer ends and embracethe opposite ends of said application roller whereupon reciprocation of the latter will reciprocate said agitating means means comprises longitudinally spaced depending finger elements.

4'. The combination of claim 1 wherein said arm means includes a pair of arms each'rigidly secured at one end to said elongated member, the outer ends of said arms adapted to rest upon said shaft beyond the ends of said application roller. 7 f

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said arm means is generally U-shaped, the outer ends of said arms being interconnected by a bight portion extending therebetween,

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said" arms and bight portion are integrally formed. V

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the inner ends of said arms are removably secured to opposite end portions of said elongated member. f

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said arms are substantially parallel. V

9. The'combination of claim 1 wherein saidagitating means. comprises longitudinally spacedv depending finger elements, said trough. including a pair of upstanding opposite end walls, said elongated member including opposite end bearing surfaces-adapted to slidingly engage the upper edges of said end walls.

No references cited, 

